Indie game designers often like to depict themselves as rebels, talking out against the modern weapon war and race for realistic graphics being put on by the major game publishers of the world. From where I sit, it seems like they are rebelling against investing time in developing a strong visual style and fleshing out mechanics. It’s like these indie creators exist in a world where only singles and EPs exist; making an LP is just too ambitious and risky. But what is being truly independent without risk and ambition?

Here is where I tell you that Tiny & Big is a revelation and a game changer, rewriting every rule this medium has been built upon. This game would die on a cross for you. It has cured my uncle’s bleeding ulcers, renewed my aging pug’s libido, and given me enough money to fill up my parent’s swimming pool full of tapioca and swim in it.

Except, Tiny & Big is yet another example of a bite-sized indie game that doesn't quite reach its potential. But, in contrast to other indie games, this one has confident, fully realized visuals, mechanics, and design. Like other indie games, it runs out ideas before its half-way point ... an hour into the game.

Somehow the tides reversed: The 2D platformers of yesteryear came in vogue over the past decade, while 3D platformers largely fell out of favor. Before Nintendo and Ubisoft reimagined their flagship platformers in 2D, indie developers were paying tribute to their childhood favorites. Maybe, it’s once again up to indie developers to show the big leagues that there is still much to be accomplished in the 3D platformer. Tiny & Big is a prime example that there are still plenty of fun, untapped ideas that just wouldn’t work in 2D.

Wanting to be the one who wears the magical underpants on his head, Tiny chases after the awfully mean bully Big. Big likes to throw things at Tiny, using telekinesis. Tiny is pretty good at jumping, but that’s not enough to get through the crypts, canyons, and desert plains of his world. When a pillar and boulder isn’t standing in Tiny’s way, Big is there to toss one directly at Tiny. In all cases, Tiny survives by way of his tool set: a grappling hook, an infinite supply of rockets, and a laser beam that can cut through almost anything.

Tiny & Big always has a set path or two for you to progress to the end of the level on, but there is always room for making your own way (and ruining the set ones) with your arsenal. These paths are easy enough to spot on the first level. Look around and you’ll find a series of rocks leading to another area. The problem is that the first rock is much taller than the succeeding ones. This is where you slice it in half horizontally with your laser and grapple the top off, pulling it toward you. Now you’ve created a rocky, improvised staircase.

Things aren’t always so simple. Soon enough you’ll be traversing upward into the sky and downward into a chasm. You’ll need to cut pillars precisely to form makeshift bridges, fashion ramps out of objects with surgical precision, and cut down blocks 100 times your size. Running like a chicken with its head cut off as enough rubble to block out the sun falls down on you never gets old. While there is strategy to how you cut down objects, survival often comes down to getting lucky with the game’s physics.

The controls feel great with a mouse. You cut objects with left mouse button, grapple them toward you with right mouse, and use middle mouse to fire a rocket, sending them flying away. The game's loose jumps hold it back, as does the difficulty hike later in the game that requires a precision that Tiny & Big's physics and tools don't easily allow. When you are walking along a suspended beam or trying to knock a box onto a small platform, you'll wish the game was either a little more tightly designed or a little more forgiving. These instances are rare and only appear in the final hour of the game.

I’m not holding back any major plot revelations or details here. This really is all that Tiny & Big is about: One man-thing’s quest to retrieve magical underwear attached to some other man-thing’s head. Okay, sometimes there are mole-things that appear from the ground and are like, “What up?” Tiny & Big may be light on plot, but it makes up for it in charm. It has such a unique look, tone, and comedic style that makes the game a real joy to play, even when the going gets tough.

If Tiny & Big were a cartoon, it could easily occupy a time slot between Regular Show and Adventure Time. The character design, art direction, and offbeat European humor oozes personality and charm. Even when you repeatedly get crushed by a rock at the same location, it’s hard to get angry at a game that makes it so easy to smile. While I was tearing my hair out at Oniken, Tiny & Big always made me relax and sink into its cozy, simple world.

A special nod needs to be made for the game's outstanding Tropicália-tinged soundtrack. The game's six levels contain collectible tapes that unlock new songs in the game's radio, which can mute and skip tracks. Collecting a tape was always a special moment, because every song was so damn good. These exotic, psychedelic songs go a long way in creating a particular mood for the game that is unlike anything else.

In many ways, Tiny & Big paints developer Black Pants as the German equivalent of Twisted Pixel. Much like their debut The Maw, Tiny & Big hints at a young studio full of talent, personality, and charm. Like The Maw, the characters of Tiny & Big may be made into plushies and sold by the dozen, but even that won't keep the game from being anything more than a fun but slight platformer that comes shy of reaching its full potential. Here's hoping that Black Studio is able to make an even more ambitious and outlandish project someday soon. They certainly have proven they are worth it with this charming debut.

Tiny & Big: Grandpa's Leftovers

THE VERDICT - Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers

Reviewed by Allistair Pinsof

7.5 /10

Good: A solid game that definitely has an audience. Might lack replay value, could be too short or there are some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun. Check out more reviews or the Destructoid score guide.

timeline following:⇓ Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers

A week ago, the Humble Indie Bundle 8 impressed us as one of the biggest and best collections to date, including titles such as Hotline Miami, Awesomenauts, and more. Indie game fans ravenously scooped up the bundle and trade...more

Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers caught my eye when it was first announced what feels like many moons ago. It has since been refined, but the core hook -- using a laser to slice up structures and watching as physics ensue --...more

Man, those pesky rocks. Being all tough to break and such. Good thing we have lasers to destroy them! Well, in Tiny and Big: Grandpa's Leftovers we do. After you're done slicing them up to your heart's desire you can pick up...more

Just yesterday, James Mielke appeared on Sup Holmes to talk about his work at Shinra Technologies. EGM, 1up, Q Games, Q Entertainment, and (you guessed it), BitSummit, the little Kyoto indie games convention that has altered ...more

As you may recall, Forgotten Memories: Alternate Realities came out of near-nowhere with its Silent Hill 2 cast additions, after several years off the development grid. If you're still wondering what Guy Cihi's delightf...more

It seems like a foregone conclusion when looking at Axiom Verge that comparisons are going to be made to Metroid. It is, without doubt, similar in more ways than it differs from Nintendo's iconic franchise.
The differences matter, though, and Axiom Verge merges classic environment design with new mechanical twists, producing a game that feels both familiar and fresh at the same time.more